Assemblyman touted acheivements of message of necessities during campaign

As he sought re-election last year, Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin, R-Melrose, Rensselaer County, touted the success of the prior legislative session—when some message of necessities were used by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to get legislation passed.

McLaughlin today ripped Cuomo for the push for the late-night gun vote last month, saying “Hitler would be proud. Mussolini would be proud of what we did here. Moscow would be proud. But that’s not democracy.

On his website, McLaughlin hails some of the agreements that he claims to have helped pass: “During my time in the Assembly, we have completely altered the way that the legislature conducts business. An on-time budget in 2011 was followed by an early approval in 2012, closing a combined $13 billion deficit with no new or increased taxes and fees. An overhaul of state ethics laws took a badly-needed first step toward stamping out corruption in government.”

The 2011 budget was approved through a message of necessity, which McLaughlin supported. Assemblyman James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, voted from 1995 through 2006 voted yes on 86 budget bills passed with a message.

Tedisco and Assembly Republicans are looking to limit when message of necessities can be used. Tedisco and other Republicans said there have been some successful measures passed through by messages of necessities—which bypass a three-day waiting period for a bill to age. But he said it shouldn’t be the norm.

“This process has been used over and over again,” Tedisco told reporters. “That doesn’t preclude the fact that he’s using it now in significant policy issues.”

In 2011, McLaughlin voted 17 times in favor of bills sent up as messages of necessity. In 2012, he did so on four of the five messages sent up by Cuomo, including the Tier VI pension plan, redistricting and an expanded DNA database for criminals.

In 2011, Cuomo issued 29 messages of necessity and used it five times last year, according to NYPIRG—the fewest number of times in recent history.

Here’s the video of McLaughlin’s comments today, courtesy of New York Now.